eewens



(K0 Medal.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. HEWENS.

MANHOLE OL0$URE.

Patented Aug. 10, 1897.

(N0.Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet Z A. HEWENS.

MANHOLE CLOSURE.

No. 588,063. I Patented Aug.-10,1897.

I l/Illllllllllll' 'WiDMiWS m -4 SheetsSheet 3 (No Model.)

' A. HEWENS. MANHOLE CLOSURE.

Patented Aug. 10,1897.

Jul/adv)? (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

A. HEWENS.

MANHOLE CLOSURE. No. 588,063. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HElVENS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MANHOLE-CLOSURE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 588,063, dated August 10, 1897.

Application filed April 5, 1897. Serial No. 630,836. (No model.)

I j ect of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Hayes, London, inthe county of Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Closing Manholes and Like Openings in Boilers, Tanks, and other Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in manhole and like covers and in means for fixing the same whereby a tight joint is obtained in a simple and expeditious manner without the necessity of employing screws and nuts.

In carrying out my invention I form the cover of the shape of the opening to be closed and so that it will fit therein. I provide my cover with a flange or rim advantageously of a channel shape, the said channel projecting beyond the sides of the opening and serving to receive the packing, which may be of any suitable material. In order to fix my cover, I provide one or more T-shaped straps with cam-shaped or eccentric projections on the inner or transverse portion thereof and rotatablymounted over the cover. The outer end of the strap is advantageouslyslotted to allow of its passing over a stud on one side of the manhole.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of a manhole-cover constructed according to my invention and shown in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a slightly-modified form of my manholecover. Fig. 4 is asection on the line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan of a further modified form of my manhole-cover. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5-. Fig. 7 is a plan similar to Fig. 1 of another form of my manhole-cover. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a section showing my invention as applied to the closing of manholes or openings in tanks; and Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10 10, Fig. 9, but showing the cover and strap removed. Fig. 11 is a plan of a manhole-cover similar to that shown in Figs. 9 and 10, but showing a modified'arrangement for securing the strap. Fig. 12 is a section on the line 12 12, Fig. 11; and Fig. 13 is a view of a detail drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 14 is a plan of a circular manhole-cover made according to my invention.

Similar letters of reference refer to the same or corresponding parts in the several figures.

A is a boiler or other plate, and B is a manhole or opening therein.

(L is my manhole-cover, formed, as shown, to fit into the manhole or opening B.

a is the channeled or grooved flange formed around the cover a so as to project beyond the sides of the manhole 01' opening 13, and a is the india-rubber or other suitable packing provided in the said channeled flange a.

b is the T-shaped strap, (in the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 two of these straps b are shown,) and b b the cam-shaped or eccentric projections on the inner or transverse portion 19 of the same. b b are the pins or bolts on the ends of the said transverse portion 12 of the strap 1), and c c are the supports or bearings for the pins b the said supports or bearings being bolted or otherwise secured to the boiler or other plate A at opposite sides of the manhole or other. opening or to the cover a and being so formed that the pins or bolts 12 can be easily and expeditiously inserted and removed.

d is the stud on one side of the manhole or of the cover, which stud passes through the hole I) in the outer end of the strap b When the latteris pushed down for fastening the manhole-cover a securely in position. This stud (Z is formed with a hole for the reception of a pin to retain the strap in the closed position.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the two supports or brackets c c are bolted to the plate A and are placed at such a distance apart that the transverse portion 11 of the strap 7) just fits between them. The said part b of the strap is formed with a longitudinal hole through it, and a pin which is longer than the part b is passed through the said longitudinal hole and through holes in the brackets c c, the ends of the pin projecting from the part 11 forming the pins 19 Z1 which are supported in the brackets c c. To remove the strap, it is only necessary to pull out the pin, which may be secured in position by a split pin through one of its projecting ends or by other suitable means.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and at the brackets c c are formed withslots c c to receive the pins 11 12 In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown the manholecover designed to be secured in position by means of two straps Z) 19, the construction and operation of which are similar to those of the strap described with reference to Figs. 1 to l. In this case the supports 0 c for the pins 19 b of the straps b b are not placed diametrically with respect to the opening 13, and the stud cl, instead of being secured to the boiler or other plate A, is fixed to the center of the manhole-cover a, so that the outer ends of the straps when securing'the manhole-cover in position lie on either side of the said stud 01, as shown, so that they may be secured in this position by a pin or other suitable fastening.

I11 the modification of my invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the cover a is arranged. to close against the inside of the boiler or other plate A. In this case the slotted supports 01' brackets c c for the pins b are rigidly secured to the top side of the cover a or are formed integral with it and project through the opening B, while the cam-surfaces b b upon the strap 1) are formed upon the outer extremities of the part b and tighten the cover a in position by their contact with the edges of the opening 13. The stud d is in this case also fixed upon the cover a.

Figs. 9 and 10 show my invention adapted for use in connection with ships and other tanks and vessels in which it is nec'essary'that the manhole-cover be flush with the outside of the vessel. In this arrangement the cover a instead of being applied to the opening B in the tank-plate A is fitted into a ring 2, -riv'- eted to the said-tank-plate A. The flange a of the manhole-cover a is not channeled or grooved, as in the above-described arrangements, the requisite tightness of joint being obtained in this case by inserting the indiarubber or other packing a in a channel or groove in the flange e ofthe ring e. The pins b of the strap 1) are supported in recesses or notches e in the ring a and are held in position by the inner edge of the tank-plate A, which projects over the said recesses, the tank-plate A being strengthened at the bearing-points by strips of metal f f, riveted or otherwise secured thereto.

In the caseof ships tanks it is necessary that the manhole-cover be so secured that .it cannot be fraudulently removed. To insure against "such tampering, I advantageously employ the arrangement shown in Figs. 11 and 12. The free end of the strap 1) is provided withtwo shoulders b b and is arranged to drop between two lugs g g on the manhole cover a. The lugs g g are formed with slots or channels g, and g (shown clearly in Fig. 13,) and when the strap 6 'is pushed home into the position showni'n the figures, so as ito tightly close the manhole or opening B, square wire or other pins h hare pushed 1111-.

der the slots g g in the opposite lugs g g,'so

as to hold the strap 1) in position. A quantity of a suitable fused metal'or alloy, "such as lead, is then poured into the space inclosed between the lugs g g and the shoulders 12 b, so as to fill up the whole space and inclose the pins h h and the end of the strap, as shown in Fig. 12. The face of the met-al can when the metal has set be stamped with any desired device or inscription. The shape of the space filled with the lead renders it impossible for the latter to be removed except by the application of heat, which, owing to the low melting-point of the metal employed, will not injure the contents of the tank or the packing of the manhole-cover.

Fig. 14 is an elevation of a cover similar to that illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 applied to the closing of a circular manhole or opening.

In this arrangement the opening'B (not shown in the figure) is formed with two notches diametrically placed with respect to the circular opening, and the cover a is formed with corresponding lugs 2' i. IVith this construction it is possible to pass the cover a through the opening B from the outside, as in the arrangement shown in Figs. 7 and-8.

To secure my improved manhole-cover a in position, it is placed in the hole or opening B in the plateA, (or into the opening in the ring e in the arrangement shown in Figs. 9 and 10,)

the flange-a extending beyond the sides of the said hole. The strap 1) is now placed in position, and being turned on its pivots b I) through half a revolution thecam-shaped projection or projections b will force the cover a tightly against the plate A, (or against the I flange e of the ring e,) the packing a? forming a.per fect joint and the strap being secured in its operative position by a pin or the like in the stud d or by the fused metal, as hereinbefore described.

By employing channeled or grooved seatings for the packing-rings it will be obvious that the said packing-rings are held firmly in their seatings and are prevented from bulging outward from the effects ofpressure.

Having now particularly described and'ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim i's 1. The combination with a'manhole-cov'er, of a securing device therefor, including a T- shaped bar provided with a cam projection, bearings for said bar, a studprovided with an aperture and a pin adapted to engagesaid aperture in the stud and to engage said T- shaped bar to hold it in locked position, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a plate provided with a manhole, and a manhole-cover, of a securing device for said cover including a T- shaped bar provided with cam projections to engage portions of said plate, bearings for said bar secured to said cover, a perforated locking-lug for'the handle portiouof 'saidbar, and a locking-pin adapted to be inserted in the perforation of said lug, to engage said handle portion of said bar, Substantially as described.

3. The combination with a plate provided with the manhole-cover, of a T-shaped securing-bar provided with cam projections, bearings for said bar, a pair of perforated locking-lugs adapted to receive the handle portion of said bar between them, said handle portion being provided with a sealing-recess and a locking-pin adapted to pass through said lugs and the sealing-recess, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a plate provided with a manhole, having a cover-engaging recess and lateral bearings on the inner side of said plate, of a manhole-cover, a T-shaped securing-bar adapted to lie within said recess having portions engaging said bearings,

and an eccentric portion for engaging said manhole-cover, whereby said cover and securing-bar do not project beyond the outer surface of the plate, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a manhole-cover, of a securing device therefor, includinga pair of T-shaped bars provided with cam projections, bearings for each of said bars, a single perforated locking-stud for the handle portions of both of said bars and a locking-pin for engaging the perforation of said stud, and adapted to engage both of said handle po rtions, substantially as described.

.ALFRED HEVVENS. lVitnesses G. F. REDFERN, JOHN E. BOUSFIELD. 

